This invention relates generally to an unloader control for a combined cotton harvester and module builder, and more particularly, to an unloader control operable for automatically detecting a condition representative of passage of a compacted cotton module from the module builder and controlling and limiting subsequent unloading of loose cotton therefrom, and a method of operation of the control.
It is well known for a cotton harvester to have a basket for receiving and holding the harvested cotton, and in some instances, apparatus in the basket for compacting the cotton for increasing the basket capacity. Typically, when the basket is full, or it is otherwise desired to unload the basket, the basket is positioned at an appropriate height and a door or gate on one side or end is pivoted outwardly from the basket and the contents are conveyed from the basket over the door or gate by drag chains or the like and unloaded or dumped into a waiting vehicle such as a truck or trailer for transport to another location such as a gin, or into a module builder which is separate from the harvester and operable for compacting the cotton into a densely compacted unitary cotton module. Reference in this regard, Buehler et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,584,762, issued Dec. 17, 1996 to Case Corporation, which discloses a well known cotton harvester having a basket with a compactor and an unloading door; and Haney et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,425, issued Jan. 22, 1980 to Cotton Machinery Company, Inc., which discloses a typical known separate cotton module builder.
Presently, it is desired to provide the capability to densely compact the harvested cotton into a unitary module on the harvesting machine as the cotton is being harvested, so as to eliminate the intermediate steps of compacting the cotton in a basket of the harvester then transporting either the collected cotton to a module builder or the module builder to the cotton and unloading the cotton into the module builder, and then further compacting the cotton into a cotton module. In the combined harvesting and module building machine, it is preferably desired to compact the cotton periodically in a module building chamber as it is received from the harvesting apparatus. In some instances, when the module is complete, it may still be desirable or necessary to continue harvesting until a row or section of a field is complete. As a result, a significant amount of loose or uncompacted cotton may be present in the module building chamber of the machine. This loose cotton can present a problem, as it will be present in the module building chamber and at least some part of it is likely to be unloaded with the module, which may be undesirable.
Therefore, what is sought is an unloader for a cotton module builder of a combined cotton harvester and module builder, and a control and method for operating the unloader, which effectively and conveniently contains and recovers loose cotton that may pass from a chamber of the module builder as a compacted cotton module is unloaded therefrom, such that the loose cotton is not lost and can be incorporated into a subsequent cotton module, or unloaded at a different time, as desired. The unloader will also have utility for use with the baskets of conventional cotton harvesters.
According to one preferred aspect of the invention, an unloader control for a cotton module builder or basket which provides many of the desired features discussed above, is disclosed. The preferred unloader includes an unloading element such as a door, gate, or ramp mounted to the module builder, the unloading element having a first end located adjacent to an open end of a cotton compacting chamber of the module builder in position for receiving a cotton module therefrom, an opposite unloading or second end from which the module is unloaded, and an intermediate portion or location between the ends. A first cotton driver is positioned and operable for moving cotton over a first portion of the unloading element from the chamber to the intermediate location, and a second cotton driver is positioned and operable for moving the cotton over the unloading element from the intermediate location to the second end. According to one preferred aspect of the invention, the control includes apparatus for selectably operating the first cotton driver for moving the cotton in an unloading direction over the first unloader portion toward the second portion, and apparatus operable during operation of the first cotton driver for detecting or determining passage of a trailing end of a cotton module or other mass of compacted cotton from the first unloader portion and automatically stopping the operation of the first cotton driver so as to limit loose cotton following the module or compacted mass from passing to the second unloader portion, the control preferably preventing resumption of operation of the first cotton driver in the unloading direction until a predetermined condition is present indicative of return of a substantial amount of any loose cotton on the first unloader portion to the chamber.
According to another preferred aspect of the present invention, the control includes a device positioned and operable for determining passage of a trailing end of a cotton module or other compacted mass of cotton from the first unloader portion or the intermediate location toward the second end of the unloader and changing a condition or state to indicate the passage, and a processor and circuitry for controllably operating the first driver and the second driver, respectively, the processor and the circuitry being operable when the changed condition is present to stop the operation of the first driver for preventing loose cotton on the unloader following the trailing end of the module or mass from moving past the first driver or intermediate location onto the second unloader portion such that loose cotton following the module or compacted mass can be subsequently returned to the compacting chamber, the processor and the circuitry preventing resumption of operation of the first driver in the unloading direction until a predetermined condition indicative of the return of the loose cotton to the chamber is present.
According to another preferred aspect of the invention, the unloader portions comprise components of a door, gate, or ramp arrangement unfoldable from a generally upstanding folded position in at least partially closing relation to an open end of the cotton compacting chamber, to an unfolded position forming a ramp or bridge between the chamber and a surface such as the ground onto which a cotton module or other compacted mass of cotton is to be unloaded, at least the first unloader portion being tiltable downwardly toward the chamber during folding to the folded position so as to return or dump loose cotton present on the unloader into the chamber, the folding comprising an unloading or module complete condition serving as the predetermined condition indicative of the return of the loose cotton to the chamber.
According to another aspect of the invention, the control includes a device positioned and operable for determining presence of a leading end of a cotton module or other compacted mass of cotton at or near the second or unloading end of the unloader and generating a signal indicative of the presence, to allow an operator to begin moving the module builder or other compactor in a direction opposite the unloading direction at a speed corresponding to the speed of the compacted cotton moving along the unloader, to safely unload the compacted cotton from the unloader onto the receiving surface.
Preferred cotton drivers include, but are not limited to, powered drag chains, belts, rollers, and other apparatus operable for moving a cotton module or other relatively dense mass of compacted cotton along an unloader.